


The one where Jason's just trying to be a good team leader

by onlywearscardigans



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Frottage, M/M, Romance, Smut, THIS MOVIE NEEDS MORE LOVE, This ship needs more love, and isn't afraid to show it, i love it, jason wants to be a good team leader, kimberly and billy are done with everyones bulllshit, this fic is really basic, trini is trying, zack just wants jason
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-10-17 02:29:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10584540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlywearscardigans/pseuds/onlywearscardigans
Summary: After saving the world from Rita Repulsa, Jason Scott realizes he's still just a teenager with angst and hormones...and super strength...and a robotic dinosaur.





	1. Chapter 1

After the battle with Rita, Jason made it a point to bond with his teammates. He figured if they were going to listen to him they needed to know him, trust him. So he made time to hang out with them, one on one. He wasn’t too worried about Kimberly, they constantly saw each other in detention. Billy too. But Jason did make sure to make a little extra effort to see him outside of school. That usually meant a lot of time in Billy’s basement, tinkering with whatever new thing he was obsessed with that day. 

Trini was tricky, but not impossible. At first Jason tried texting her, figuring that was the safest approach but she just ignored him. After what she revealed about her family during the bonfire, Jason didn’t think showing up to her house unannounced was a good idea. So he caught up with her after school. Since Trini’s parents wouldn’t let her have a car and Jason’s license was suspended, he’d suggested they walk home together. They walked together until they hit Rose street, in the center of town, that’s when Trini turned left and Jason turned right. They didn’t always talk but Jason figured that was better than pushing her to open up to him. She got enough of that from her parents. 

Today was one of those days, she walked next to him, her white headphones covering her ears, blasting heavy metal. It was bright outside today, and hot. Summer had come to Angel Grove and it made both Jason and Trini shed their plaid shirts and tie them around their waists. As they got closer to the center of Angel Grove, walking in comfortable silence, they also got closer to the aftermath of the battle against Rita Repulsa. Jason was proud of his team, they had saved Angel Grove, they’d saved the world. But they’d nearly leveled the town doing it. Both Jason and Trini turned to watch the clean up and disaster relief crew that was sent in to help with the aftermath. A lot of families had been left without homes. Because yeah, their fight had destroyed people’s homes. Jason tried not to think about it too much, he knows what they did was right in the long run. 

A lot of people got displaced to the Melody Mobile Home park. The disaster relief crew that came in set up a makeshift home base there, with a giant white tent that could hold up to a hundred people. The last Jason heard they were at max capacity, he wondered how the residents, like Zack, of the mobile home park were handling their new neighbors. He’d been trying to get in touch with Zack for days but he realized he never got the Black Ranger’s phone number, let alone his address. He almost never came to school either so it’s not like Jason could just walk up to him and ask. He stopped suddenly realizing Trini was probably the best person to ask about Zack. 

Jason opened his mouth to ask the question but Trini was already several spaces ahead of him, not having noticed that he stopped walking. “Trini, wait!” He cries, chasing after her. 

Of course she doesn’t stop, she can’t hear anything. 

Jason jumps in front of her, “Trini stop, stop!” 

Trini looks offended but stops, slipping the headphones off her ears but not stopping her music, “Dude, what?” 

“Sorry, it’s just, I don’t know why I didn’t think about it before-”

“Get to the point, Team Leader.” She bites sarcastically. 

“Right sorry. It’s just, I’ve been trying to get a hold of Zack for the last few days but I never got his phone number.”

Trini chews on the inside of her cheek and Jason gets the feeling that she’s deciding whether or not to lie. “Zack doesn’t have a phone.” She says finally. 

Jason stares at her for a moment, of course Zack doesn’t have a phone. “Right. Do you know how I can find him?”

“Why?”

“Why? I - he’s my friend. I haven’t talked to him since the fight with Rita, I guess...I want to make sure he’s doing okay. I know he doesn’t have the best living situation.” He trails off unsure if he’s saying the right things because Trini isn’t giving him anything. 

She’s just staring straight back at him, her thumbs hooked through back pack straps, the distorted guitar blaring through her headphones. Without a word the Yellow Ranger pulls out her phone and starts clicking and sweeping. 

“Uh, what are-” Before Jason can finish his phone buzzes. He looks back at Trini and she’s using her lips to point at Jason’s phone. Confused, he opens the text she’s just sent him a pin. He opens it with his maps app and finds that it would lead him to a spot in the mines. 

He opens his mouth to ask what it has to do with anything but she cuts him off again. “That’s where I go out to do yoga every once and awhile. I figured I should drop a pin in case I got lost out there or something.”

“That’s really smart but how-”

“I see Zack out there sometimes.”

“Oh right! This is perfect Trini, thank you!” 

“Uh huh.” She slips the headphone back over her ears and keeps walking. 

Jason walks next to her, smiling. 

Soon enough they reach Rose street and the only goodbye Trini offers him is a single wave as she turns left, she doesn’t even turn around to face him. Jason isn’t fazed by this, he just smiles in loo of a wave because she wouldn’t even see it. Instinctively, he turns right to go home but he pauses the pin Trini sent him blinking at him on his phone. Jason turns and goes straight instead. 

Jason’s over halfway to the location where Trini dropped a pin when he starts to wonder how the fuck Trini hikes up here so frequently. He’s only been walking for twenty minutes he can feel the sweat on his back, making his white t-shirt stick to his skin. The back of his neck is stinging from sunburn. She probably doesn’t hike up here in the middle of freaking heat wave with a bag full of textbooks, Jason thinks bitterly. He’s starting to consider turning around when Zack’s voice calls to him.

”Yo, Red! Whatcha doin’ all the way out here?” 

Jason turns and finds Zack standing on top of an abandoned train car. “Oh thank god” He huffs and jogs over to him.

“Jeez man,” Zack reaches down and offers Jason a hand to haul the Red Ranger onto the car. “How long have you been walking?” 

Jason’s out of breath and he’s got a cramp in his side so it takes him a second to answer. “I walked from Rose street.” He finally manages, wincing because his foot starts to cramp. 

“Fuck dude why didn’t you just take the trail behind Trini’s house, it cuts through the woods and only takes like ten minutes. 

“Of course it would have.” Jason says, dropping his hands on his knees, still out of breath. He hears Zack let out a small laugh behind him. Jason’s about to turn around and tell him to screw off, how the hell was he supposed to know about the trail, but Zack is offering him an ice cold bottle of water and all Jason can do is thank him. 

“So what brings the Red Ranger, to my neck of the woods?” Zack asks plopping back down on an old moth eaten red and black blanket. 

Finally having caught his breath, Jason says, “Maybe don’t call me that out loud.”

“Because there are so many people up here to reveal our identities.” Zack spreads his long arms out and motions to the great, empty, and unpopulated expanse before them. 

Jason moves forward and sits next to Zack, staring out the mines. It really was beautiful. He wonders if that’s why Zack comes up here, to get away from everyone and everything. Suddenly he feels like he’s intruding. A bit self conscious now Jason says, “I just wanted to see how you were doing. No one’s seen or talked to you since the battle.” He turns his eyes away from the now setting sun and looks back at Zack, who is as unreadable as Trini. Just in a different way. Trini doesn’t give him anything. Just a blank expression and loud heavy metal music. Trini doesn’t bother with a mask. But Zack..Zack is just a mask. Yeah, they all morphed together that one time. And Zack opened up about his home life but right now Jason was looking at him and he was all smirk and handsome eyes and nothing else. 

It’s like Jason’s concern catches him off guard, it takes him a few seconds to answer back. “I’m a fucking super hero now, man! I’m amazing!” He turns back to look at the orange and pink sunset. He takes a swig of a beer Jason hadn’t realized he was holding. 

Jason switches gears, “So how often you come up here? Trini mentioned shes seen you out here a few times.”

Zack shrugs, “A couple times a week, you know when the jobs run out and I’ve got time to kill.” 

“Why not just go to school?” 

Zack snorts and looks at Jason like he’s some idiot kid who doesn’t know anything, “There’s no point.” Before Jason can ask him why he thinks school isn’t worth it, Zack barrels forward. “This beats the trailer park right now, place is fuckin’ crawling with little kids it’s driving me insane.”

Jason nods, “All the displaced families are set up there right?” 

Zack nods, taking another swig, “And those little kids make so much fuckin’ noise they keep waking my mom up.” 

Jason hesitates before asking softly, “How’s your mom doing?” 

“Still dying.” The permanent smirk on Zack’s face disappears. Jason remembers seeing the same look on the boys face the night of the fire. 

“I’m sorry man,” is all Jason can think to say, “it’s a shitty situation.” 

“Yeah.” Zack agrees.

The sun is almost gone now and a cold wind sweeps over them. Jason shivers and slips is plaid shirt back on. Zack notices and scoots closer so their sides are pressed together. They stay like that until the last rays of light disappear. 

\--

Jason finds himself sitting with Zack on the abandoned train car almost everyday. It’s better than going home to his father’s disappointed speeches and his mother’s passive sighs. Most of the time it’s just him and Zack, and sometimes they don’t talk much, usually when Zack’s mom has had a bad night. Sometime Zack won’t stop talking and it’s all smiles and cramps in his side from laughing so hard. 

Today though...today they fight, because Zack decided to morph on his own and save a cat from a fucking tree. Jason found out because everyone at school was sharing a video of the Black Ranger scaling a tree just outside of the Melody Mobile Home park.

“You can’t just morph whenever you feel like it! We’re a team we work together!” Jason yells at him after having dragged the Black Ranger to the abandoned train car where he knew no one would overhear them. 

Infuriatingly enough, Zack just smiles and shakes his head at Jason, “You’re just mad because you weren’t there to boss me around!” 

And that makes Jason pause. Because it hurt so much more than he expected it to. “That’s what you think of me?” Jason asks, his voice quiet and steady. 

Jason watches as Zack’s brain catches up to his mouth. Zack tries to step forward, his hand reaching out towards his leader. “I didn’t mean it-” 

“No. Yes, you did. If you didn’t mean it you wouldn’t have said it.” Hason moves mechanically, gathering his things and refusing to look at Zack. 

“Jason, man, come on.” 

“No.” He says forcefully, daring Zack with his eyes to take another step toward him. “I’ll see you around.” 

Jason doesn’t see Zack for almost two weeks after that. He fills empty space with Billy and Kimberly mostly. But they’re not always available, so he starts working on his totaled truck. Ripping off the useless bits that he destroyed, looking for what was salvageable. That’s what he’d planned on doing today but Billy’s mom invited them all over for dinner. Jason was hesitant at first but then Billy says that Zack won’t be there because he hasn’t been able to get in touch with him. They’re all walking to Billy’s house now, when Trini, who Jason assumed was meeting them at Billy’s house comes at him brimming with all of her misunderstood anger. 

“What the hell did you do to Zack!” She demands, crossing her arms and spreading her legs, effectively giving Jason nowhere to go. 

Jason inhales sharply. He wishes she wouldn’t do this in front of the others. As calmly as he can Jason responds, “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Trini.” 

“The hell I don’t know! Who do you think you are? Talking to me like that! Zack’s refusing to come into town and it’s all because of you! You started going up there because you can’t mind your own damn business and now-”

Kimberly jumps in, “Woah Trini calm down, what is going on?”

Jason opens his mouth but Trini cuts him off, “What’s up is your boy here keeps butting into everyone’s business for no reason, other than he thinks he’s our leader or whatever. I hiked into the mines to get Zack to come to dinner but he refused, got all weird when I mentioned Jason was coming.” Her chest is rising and falling hard. Her lips twisted with disgusted anger. 

“Trini, that doesn’t mean Jason did-”

“Why do you assume it was my fault, huh!” Jason yells stepping in front Kimberly. He was furious. Furious that Trini assumes it was him. Furious that Zack is talking to her and not him. He steps even closer to Trini bringing them face to face. He stares straight back into her perpetually dark and angry eyes and calmly says, “Thank you, Trini for showing me how you honestly.” He turns away, disinterested in her response. 

Jason starts walking away, back to his house. Billy calls after him, asking where he’s going. Jason sighs and turns around so he’s walking backwards now. “Billy I’m really sorry but I don’t think I can make it to dinner tonight.” Billy opens his mouth to protest but Jason doesn’t let him. “Tell your mom I’m sorry Billy.” 

Behind him he faintly hears Kimberly’s voice, “Trini, what the hell!” 

\--

Jason goes home, skips dinner despite his parents protests, locks himself in his room, opens the window for fresh air, puts his phone on do not disturb mode and starts blasting music. He flops face down onto his bed and stays there for a while. At first he feels dramatic and stupid. He cannot believe he is a teenage superhero and he still has to deal with this angst bullshit. He’d saved the fucking world and here he was dramatically sighing into his bedsheets. Eventually though the isolation helps, he thinks. His anger fades and his head clears. He shouldn’t have snapped at Trini, she was just looking out for Zack. He should be grateful his teammates are showing loyalty to each other. And poor Billy and Kimberly. They really had no idea what was going on. 

Around seven or eight o’clock Jason feels himself start to doze off but it was way too early so he decides to take a shower instead. The hot water and steam help relax his tense muscles and help him decide, he’s going to go clear the air with Zack tomorrow. In fact, he’s gonna bring all the rangers together to air this shit out. 

With that decision in mind Jason steps out of the shower, wrapping his towel around his waist, and walks back to his bedroom. He sees his phone sitting on his desk and starts thinking about all the messages Kimberly, Billy, and even Trini have tried sending him. He sighs and reaches out to turn off the do not disturb mode when Zack comes tumbling through his open window. 

“Jason! Is everything alright!” His mom’ yells from her bedroom. 

Terrified that she’ll storm in to find her son in nothing but a towel with a strange boy in his room, Jason answers back immediately. “Yeah mom, I just fell getting out of the shower.” He hears his dad snort and chooses to ignore it. He turns back to Zack and opens his arms in a gesture that clearly states, what the fuck? But Zack is just openly checking him out with a smile on his face. Jason feels a blush go all the way down to his chest. “Fuck this. I’m putting clothes on.” Zack makes a disappointed sound and for some reason it makes Jason smile. He flips Zack off before grabbing the closest shirt and shorts he can find and goes back to the bathroom. He returns to his room fully dressed to find Zack sitting on his bed, staring at all the posters on his walls. “What’re you doin’ here?” 

There’s a long pauses and it looks like Zack it trying to figure out the best way to say it. He keeps smiling then frowning. Finally, his face lands somewhere in between. Uncomfortable, Jason would call it. “I wanted to apologize.” Zack says. 

Jason narrows his eyes at him, not the least be convinced. “You wanted to apologize or Trini threatened to kick your ass if you didn’t apologize?”

“Actually Kim, threatened to kick my ass.” Zack admits. That makes Jason laugh and Zack visibly deflates.

Jason claps Zack on the shoulder and joins him on the bed. “Well, I’m sorry too. I overreacted.” 

Zack shakes his head. “No I shouldn’t have morphed to save a cat from a tree. I could have done that on my own. I just- I don’t know if you’ve realized this but I don’t like being wrong.”

Jason slaps his hand over his heart, faking astonishment. “Who ever would have thought that?” Jason answers sarcastically. 

They laugh together and it’s nice, really nice, Jason thinks. It’s the closest he’s felt to Zack in a long time. Then Zack is rubbing Jason’s shoulder and they both go quiet.

“You’re a good leader, Jason.” Zack says softly. “You shouldn’t ever doubt that.” Then, like it was the most normal thing in the world, Zack Taylor leans forward and kisses Jason Scott.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> peep them new tags yall

Jason's not surprised by Zack's attraction to him, I mean the guy was openly ogling him only a couple of minutes ago. And he's not caught that off guard by the abruptness of this kiss. What throws him off is how soft the kisses are. He always imagined Zack's style to be rougher than this. He expected Zack to lick into his mouth with reckless abandon. But that's not what Zack is doing.

The first kiss was a little awkward. They were sitting next to each other so Zack has to turn Jason’s face towards him to brush his lips against his. It’s a weird angle but Jason doesn’t care. Zack is kissing him like he was savoring it. He kisses Jason, then pulls away, then kisses again, like he’s giving Jason the chance to pull away if he wants to. 

Jason doesn't pull away. But he's not exactly kissing back either. He's just sitting there, his breath coming in quiet gasps, letting Zack have his gentle way with his mouth. 

After a few seconds of this Zack switches gears and starts peppering Jason's cheek and jaw with equally sweet kisses. His hand slides to Jason's neck, holding him there. 

The feeling of Zack's mouth on the sensitive skin of Jason's neck makes let out a soft sigh, and he reaches out to hold on to something to steady him. His hand happens to find Zack’s knee. 

"You okay?" Zack whispers, moving his mouth so the words are spoken against Jason's ear. 

Jason starts to laugh but it dissolves into another breathless sigh because Zack’s not pulling away. In fact, he’s threading his fingers into Jason’s wet hair and fuck now he’s using his tongue to outline the shell of his ear. Jason can’t think straight, he starts to squirm, feeling the blood rushing to his dick. Gently, he pushes Zack away. “Slow down, slow down.” He smiles because his voice is completely wrecked and he loves it. He hasn’t felt this good in a long time. 

Zack pulls back but keeps his hand in Jason’s hair. It’s quick but Jason doesn’t miss the way Zack’s eyes snap down to his lap where his half hard dick was tenting his shorts. 

Lightening fast Jason snaps a pillow over his lap and raises his eyebrows at Zack, “Stop.” He tries to keep voice firm but his face breaks into a smile because Zack looks proud. He thinks he should find it annoying but he thinks it’s cute.

There’s a long moment when they just sit there staring at each other with doped up smiles. Jason’s nervously twitching with the pillow in his lap to keep from reaching across the space between them and going back to the kissing. Because kissing Zack is mindless. Thoughtless, in the best way possible. It clears Jason’s head like nothing else has ever done. It felt like he and Zack were alone but together, floating through a suspended pool of water. 

Jason doesn’t realizes he’s doing it but he’s leaning forward again and so is Zack. The sharp knock on the door makes them leap apart. Zack moves with impossible speed to the open window. Jason’s mom calls through the door but he’s not focused on her. He’s looking at Zack, who just winks, and leaps away. 

“Jason!” 

“Yeah I’m comin’!” Jason straightens his hair and gives a quick look around the room making sure it didn’t look like he was just making out with another boy in it. He opens his door and finds his mother standing there, and her eyes a little bloodshot, framed by dark circles. Everyone told Jason he looked like his mother. She gave him his blonde hair with soft curls and slate colored eyes. The only big difference between their faces was time. Her eyes crinkled in the corners, and her blonde hair was beginning to fade into grey just at her temples. 

His parents had been fighting so much more sense the accident. At first he’d try to just bury his head into his pillow while he blasted music. But one day they were yelling at each other about how or if they were going to help him pay for college and it was like they forgot Jason and his little sister were home. His mom was calling his dad heartless, and he was calling her naive. His sister had wandered into his room, clutching pillow and crying. He’d scooped her up and tucked her back to bed, promising her that it wouldn’t last much longer. 

Then he stomped into the middle of their argument and asked them to keep the bitterness down for her sake, if not his. His mom bit her lip and looked guilty. His dad said he’d apologize to her in the morning before ordering Jason to bed. 

“Yeah?” Jason asks, staring at her keeping his face blank when he realizes he can’t remember the last one on one conversation he had with his mother. 

“Are you sure you don’t want dinner, honey?” 

And Jason is struck, and he can’t figure out why exactly. She’s his mother, of course she cares if he eats. He’s been so disconnected from his family this small gesture is making his stomach twist. He reaches out and squeezes his mom’s soft arm, “Yeah I can eat.” He leans forward and kisses her forehead. 

She blinks in surprise but a smile crawls on her lips as Jason asks her to sit with him while he eats. 

\--

Jason’s never dated anyone. He’s had dates and drunken kisses. But that was during his “glory days” as Angel Grove High quarterback. And those days are long gone. He’d lost his virginity to Melissa Rivers from the rival high school. He was sixteen and it was in the back of his pickup truck after some Friday night game. He remembers it being uncomfortable and he came way too fast. Melissa had told him it was okay and let him crawl off of her. Melissa Rivers did not come that night. When their pants were up and shirts straightened she kissed his cheek and told him he’d played a really good game. 

Jason never spoke to or saw Melissa Rivers again. 

Jason didn’t regret that night, Melissa was pretty and she was nice. But it did help him realize, one night stands were not for him. But he wasn’t sure if he wanted a relationship either because he’d never been in one. 

He was walking to school today, thinking about Melissa Rivers because he didn’t know how to feel about Zack. They had kissed and he was comfortable accepting that it had blown his mind a little bit. Being outside, away from his room, his bed, the soft sheets that Jason swore still smelled like Zack, helped clear his head. All he could think about last night was Zack’s mouth, and his hands, and his smirk. It was dizzying and arousing. He’d jacked off in his bed that morning, cleaning up his mess with the box of tissues he kept next to his bed. 

“Yo, Jason!” 

Trini’s voice broke him from his memories. He looked over to see Trini jogging towards him, with her headphones around her neck and no audible music playing. 

“Hey.” He says, wondering why she’s wearing the confused look on her face. 

“That’s all you gotta say? I tried calling you like ten times last night to apologize and all you gotta say is “hey”?” 

“What do you-” He starts to ask but then he remembers, he never did take his phone off of Do Not Disturb. “Oh, shit. I’m sorry I forgot to-” 

Trini punches him in the shoulder just hard enough to make him flinch. “Stop apologizing dumbass, I’m the one apologizing!” 

Jason raises an eyebrow at her, “Okay.” He waits for a moment, thinking she needs a moment to pull the right words together but she just crosses her arm and narrows her eyes at him. “Wait, was that the apologie?” 

“Don’t push it, Scott.”

“I’m sorry, I just really couldn’t tell.” 

Trini drops her arms and deflates, “I’m sorry, okay? I just got used to the idea of all of us being a team, being friends.”

“We are, Trini.” Jason says softly. 

“I know. But, I don’t know, it’s stupid.” She hooks her thumbs on her back pack straps and starts to turn away but Jason grabs her. 

“No, it’s not. Tell me.” 

Her eyes soften, “What Rita said to us, about how this can’t last, I’ve been thinking about that lately.”

Jason reaches forward and squeezes Trini’s shoulders, “She’s wrong Trini.” 

“Is she?” Shot shots back without missing a beat. “I haven’t seen Zack in weeks, I hadn’t seen Billy and Kimberly outside of school before last night, and we haven’t trained or gone to the command center since Rita! I don’t know about you but Rita sure did make it sound like she wasn’t the only one gunnin’ for that crystal.” 

Jason stares back at her, speechless. His gut is twisting because it all seems to obvious now. How could he, the team leader, not think to keep training? How could he let one of his teammates get to this point? The point of doubt and fear. “You’re right Trini. You’re right. You text Billy and Kim to meet us at the command center tonight. I’ll grab Zack on my way, okay?” 

\--

Not soon enough, Jason is walking through the Melody Mobile Home park with no idea which one is Zack’s. He’s thinking about stopping someone and asking but something makes him think that Zack wouldn’t want him talking to his neighbors. 

The park is packed, kids running to and from trailers. A lot of the adults turn and stare at him because he’s Jason Scott. He’s used to those stares though, so he pushes forward, a resigned sort of smile on his face. He’s wonders around the park for another five minutes, he’s about to give in and just ask someone when he sees Zack step down from a trailer, carefully shutting the door behind him. He jogs towards him in favor of calling more attention to himself. “Hey.” 

Zack spins around to see him standing in front of his door. “Hey.” Zack says like he can’t think of anything else to say. His eyes scan across the rest of the park, taking in that they’re being watched. “Wait here.” 

“Uh, okay.” Jason’s confused but he stays put while Zack hurries back into his home. But he’s not left alone long, soon enough Zack’s rushing back out, pushing his arms into his leather jacket. 

“This way.” Zack says, grabbing Jason’s shoulder and pushing him onto a hidden trail behind his trailer. 

For the same reason that Jason didn’t ask the neighbors for help, Jason waits for Zack to break the silence. They walk for a while before that happens, “Sorry about. Nosy neighbors.” 

Jason nods, “I figured.”

They walk a bit more before Zack turns on him, blocking his path, that familiar smile back on his face, “So tell me what brings Jason Scott all the way up to Melody Mobile Park.” 

Jason smiles back sheepishly. He knows what Zack wants him to say, and he wants to say it too but he needs to focus on being Red Ranger right now. “We’re all meeting at the command center.” 

Zack’s face changes instantly, a deep crease forming between his brows. “What happened? Is everything okay?”

Without thinking about it Jason takes a few hurried steps towards Zack and grabs him by his biceps, squeezing them reassuringly. “Yes, everything's fine, everything’s fine.” He’s running his hand up and down the other boy’s arms, from elbow to shoulder. 

Jason realizes what he’s doing and snaps his hands back to his side, shoving them in his pockets. Zack’s smirk is back with full force and he’s raising an eyebrow at him. Jason’s pretends he doesn’t see it and keeps walking. “I just thought we could all use a little training.” 

“Uh huh.” Zack says unconvinced. “Are you sure this isn’t just some elaborate excuse for you to have your way with me again?” 

That made Jason laugh, he turned so he was walking backwards, “Do I need an excuse for that?” He asks suddenly feeling a little daring. Behind him the hill they’d been climbing was cresting and just over it, the entrance to the command center. 

Zack smiles back at him, “No, sir.” 

\--

They surprise Zordon and Alpha with their appearance but Jason can tell Zordon is pleased. He asks Alpha to run a few fighting scenarios for them in The Pit and he also tries to get some one on one combat in with each of the Rangers. Trini takes him down with a leg sweep he didn’t see coming. Billy outsmarts him and backs Jason into a boulder so he trips himself up. Kimberly straight punches him in the face leaving him bleeding and a little dizzy. She screams completely horrified but Jason laughs it off and tells her it’s totally fine, in fact he’s impressed. 

He fights against Zack the longest. They don’t pull their punches but they both probably could have ended the fight two moves earlier. Eventually Zack grapples Jason to the ground, pinning the Red Ranger below him. Jason doesn’t think he’s felt anything as good as the weight and warmth of Zack, panting and sweaty, on top of him. But they’re both mindful of their company so the moment doesn’t last. Zack hops up and offers Jason a hand. He takes it and lets his fingers drag across the other boys palm as he pulls away.

“I think we can call it a night.” He says to his team who are dirty and sweaty and exhausted but they’re all beaming at him.

“We should definitely do this more often.” Billy says as they all walk back to the suspended pool that hides the command center from the world. 

There’s a sleepy but cheerful murmur of agreement from everyone before one by one they jump, impossibly high, into the water. Jason and Zack are the last two standing in the cave. 

Zack bends his knees like he’s about to jump but turns to Jason, “Meet me at the train car?” 

“Yeah.” Jason says, his mind short circuiting a bit. 

Zack beams at him and jumps.

\--

By the time Jason makes it to the top of the cliff Zack is gone. According to Trini, Billy, and Kim he bid them a quick goodbye before running off. This is when Jason realizes Zack doesn’t want them to know about...them. Whatever they were, right now. So he plays it cool too. He hugs them all goodbye, squeezing Trini a little harder and whispering a thank you in her ear. She doesn’t say anything but she does squeeze back. Then he lies to Trini and says he’s going to take the long way home to clear his head. It doesn’t feel good and Trini doesn’t look entirely convinced but it’s what Zack wants, so he goes along with it. 

The abandoned train car isn’t too far from the command center, only a fifteen minute walk west of it. It’s well past sundown at this point, the moonlight illuminating the dusty hills of Angel Grove. A cold breeze carrying the salty taste of the sea makes Jason shiver and instinctively pull his arms in tighter. He’s starting to shiver when the train car and Zack come into view.

The Black Ranger is sitting on top of the car, already taking sips from a beer bottle. Jason had asked him about how he managed to always have a stash of beer in the train car at all times and Zack had shown him his fake ID that had him listed as 29 year old organ donor, John Smith. Jason had burst out laughing because it was probably the worst fake ID he’s ever seen, then he remembered that Jerry Jenkins who ran the only beer and wine store in town was half blind. 

Zack turns his head and beckons Jason to climb up and join him, waving a second beer bottle as invitation. Effortlessly, Jason hops onto the train car, sits down next to Zack, and accepts the beer. They smile at each other and it’s not filled with lust or sarcasm. It’s filled with peace and pleasure and balance. They sit like this for a while. There is no pressure to talk or kiss. There’s no worries or doubts in this moment.   
And Jason likes it, he want’s to take advantage of this weightlessness they’ve discovered together. So without thinking about it too much Jason lays down, pulling Zack with him. Zack doesn’t fight him. He lays down with Jason a presses closer to him. The warmth of the alcohol and Zack’s body are seeping into Jason’s bones and once again, Jason finds himself, with Zack feeling better, clearer, lighter, than he has in a long time. 

“Tonight was good.” Zack says. 

“Yeah it was.” Jason says. “I’m sorry I didn’t think to do it before.” 

“None of us know what we’re doing, Red.” 

Jason bites his lip to keep from smiling, he likes it when Zack calls him that. Then he feels Zack turn to look at him, so he looks back

Zack’s breath falls over Jason’s face, it’s warm and hopsy and intoxicating. He feels Zack move even closer to him. But not close enough to kiss. Zack wants him to make the move, Jason realizes. So Jason lifts his steady hand and cups the other ranger’s hip. He takes a deep breath, steadying his nerves as he grips him tighter there, admiring his shape a muscle. Zack shifts, for a moment Jason is terrified he’s pulling away but his nose brushes against his. Jason licks his lips and shivers, a cold wind sweeping through the Angel Grove hills. Then Jason kisses Zack and now he is shivering for a whole other reason. Instinctively, he digs his fingers into Zack’s hip then snaps his hand away remembering his super strength.

“I’m so sorry! I forgot-” Zack cuts him off, threading his fingers into Jason’s hair and pulling their mouths back together. The kisses are soft and short, giving Zack the opportunity to mumble a sweet ‘Shut up’ in between. 

Jason smiles against his mouth and with a new found confidence, scoots his body closer to Zack’s so their chests are pressed together. He wraps one arm around the other boys waist and one into his hair, taking control of the kiss. Jason opens his mouth and licks Zack’s lips apart. He licks and tastes and takes, running his hand up, then down Zack’s spine. He lets it rest there, in the dip just above his ass. 

For a few seconds Zack is left panting helplessly against Jason’s dominant mouth but it doesn’t last long. Soon enough he’s pushing back, biting Jason’s soft lips. He bites and licks, pulling moans and whines from his team leader. The sounds make Zack’s head spin and his cock hard. He wants Jason. He wants to touch and bite every inch of skin. He wants to feel his body against his own. He wants to hear every whimper and moan he can make. Zack doesn’t overthink it, he never does. He sits up and grips Jason by his ass, hauling him onto his lap.

“Oh, oh god, wait-”

Zack freezes, quickly moving his hands from Jason’s ass to his back. “What? What’s wrong?”

Jason takes a moment to catch his breath, “That was just really fast.”

“Do you want to stop?’ He asks with complete earnestness. Jason knows that if he says yes Zack will take his hands off of him no questions asked. But that’s not what he wants. 

“No.” Jason says. “I haven’t been with someone in a while.” He admits, blushing.

Zack smiles but it’s not condescending. It’s soft and understanding. “Come here.” He whispers bringing his hands to cup Jason’s face. They kiss again and it’s slower but Zack runs his hands down Jason neck, down his chest, down his thighs, and up again to rest on his hips. He keeps his hands there but pulls his lips from Jason’s mouth. The other boy says his name but it’s breathed with ecstasy instead of intent, so Zack continues. He kisses and licks Jason’s jaw, then his throat, then his ear. Jason pulls Zack’s hair and gasps when he bites the shell of his ear. 

Jason’s mind is reeling. He doesn’t know what he’s doing, he just knows this is way better than sex with Melissa Rivers and he doesn’t want Zack to stop touching him, ever. He’s pretty sure Zack is sucking a bruise onto his collar bone but he doesn’t care because it feels so good his eyes are rolling. Mindlessly, he finds the bottom of Zack’s shirt and lets his hand slide underneath it. He runs his fingers across his lower back, digs his blunt nails in a little when Zack bites his sensitive skin. 

The response gives Jason enough confidence to wrap his arms around the Black Ranger’s neck and roll his hip, experimentally. Pleasure rolls through him, making him shudder and groan. 

“Fuck, Jason.” Zacks gasps, “Hold on.” He says and Jason doesn’t really know what he’s talking about because he’s already holding on for dear life. He gets it when Zack uses his super strength to lift them up and turn Jason over onto his back. He lays Jason down gently, wasting no more time. He hooks his hand under Jason’s knee, bringing it up and slotting himself between his legs. He leans back down and starts kissing Jason and at the same time, starts rutting against him. 

The kisses are messy, they’re both panting and gasping into each others mouth at the feeling of their cocks rubbing together through their jeans. Jason throws his head back, he knows he’s close, and he thinks Zack is too. He’s rolling his hips faster and is gripping Jason by his hair. Jason thinks the pull should hurt but he likes the sting mixed with the pleasure. 

Jason comes with a small groan that Zack swallows in a kiss. It leaves a sticky mess in his jeans but he doesn’t care because he doesn’t think he’s ever come so hard in his life. Then Zack is coming and he moans and stares at Jason in the eye as he rides through it. 

The lay there for a moment, Zack on top of Jason, come staining their jeans, and catching their breaths. They only start to move when a cold wind sweeps over them, cutting through their sex haze. Zack pushes himself up and Jason immediately misses the weight of him. He thinks Zack notices this disappointment because he smiles at him and leans down to peck his lips softly. But still he stands and offers Jason a hand to help him up. Wordlessly, they hop down from the train car, Jason smiles when Zack needlessly helps him down, gripping him by his waist. They stand there, feet on the ground now, staring at each other. 

“So,” Jason starts awkwardly, “You want me to walk you home?” 

Zack laughs at him, “No I think I can manage. You should head home, you’ve got be all bright eyed and bushy tailed for detention.”

Jason curses, he didn’t realize it was Friday night, “Yeah I do. You should swing by. You haven’t shown your face in their in a few weeks.” 

“I got a job in town tomorrow, need the money for my mom so,” He trails off looking at the dirt. “But tell everyone to come back up here tomorrow night. We’ll have another fire.” 

Jason knows Zack doesn’t need or want pity, so he lets the comment about his mom go. But he does reach forward and grab him by the back of his neck, pulling him into a kiss. It catches Zack off guard but he relaxes into it soon enough and lets his own hand rest on Jason’s neck. They kiss softly for a little while longer before pulling themselves away from each other. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jason promises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kisses, yay! Thank you for reading and commenting it's super encouraging. Hope you guys like this one. ps I saw the movie a third time and guess what? still so good.


	3. Chapter 3

It’s well past midnight when Jason starts to make the once difficult but not impossible climb to his bedroom window. He climbs through his window, replaying the night with a giant grin on his face, he doesn’t notice the light in his room is on. The second his feet touch the ground, his mother’s voice brings him back to reality. 

“What the hell are you doing, Jason?” She’s sitting on his bed looking frail and defeated. But she’s whispering, Jason realizes, and his door is closed. 

“I can explain.” He starts and waits for her to interrupt him but she doesn’t. She just looks at him, her eyes begging him to explain how he broke his house arrest again, yes, but also begging him to explain to her what’s going on with him. Because he can tell she knows it goes beyond football and scholarships. 

“I’m waiting.” She says, her voice shaking. 

“Mom-” Jason starts but stops himself because he can’t tell her. He can’t tell her about the Power Rangers or Zack or anything. So he hangs his head because he can’t look at her disappointed face anymore. 

She stands slowly and calculated and walks towards him with her arms outstretched and hugs him. 

It’s not what Jason was expecting but he doesn’t mind at all. He wraps his arms around her shoulders and squeezes her back. He’s so much taller than her now, her face gets buried in his shoulder. Jason turns his head so he can smell her sweater, she always smelled like home to him. 

“I’m so sorry for whatever you’re going through, honey.” She whispers, hooking her chin on his shoulder. “You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders these days.” 

Jason squeezes her even tighter because she really has no fucking clue.

She responds by rubbing his back in soothing circles. “I love you, Jason. Your father loves you. But this will stay between us, understand?”

Jason pulls away abruptly, completely dumbstruck by her words. He nods silently because he’s literally speechless. 

“But I can’t ignore this either Jason. It’s nearly two o’clock in the morning for goodness sake. And god knows what you’ve done to your ankle monitor.” She motions done to the device the he only continues to wear for appearance sake. “So you’re grounded for one week.

Jason starts to protest but she raises her voice but only slightly, still cautious of Jason father snoring in the other room. 

“One week is pretty reasonable compared to house arrest, which you’re not even obeying, don’t you think?” She says pulling away from his hold and crossing her arms. 

“Yes, ma’m.” Jason says.

“It’ll be tough with your sister but I’ll pick you up from detention tomorrow and I’ll pick you up everyday after school next week. When your home, your home,” She emphasizes the second home using her skinny pointer finger to point at the carpet, “that means you give up your phone when you walk through the door and you spend some actual time with us.” 

Jason can’t control himself this time, “Mom-”

“No.” She interjects. “No, I’m serious about this Jason. Your father mentioned military school the other night and-” 

“What!” Jason shouts and is quickly shushed by his mother with a delicate hand on his elbow. “He can’t stop talking about how expensive my college education is gonna be but he can afford to ship me off to military school?” 

“Jason, please keep your voice down. But I agree with you, I said the same thing to him when he brought it up. I think if you actually spoke with him and he saw you engaging with us, he would relax a little. He loves you Jason, he’s just worried about you.”

“Has a funny way of showing it.” Jason mumbles. 

She moves her hand from her elbow, to his cheek. “He doesn’t know what to do sweetie. He’s lost, just like you are.”

Jason sighs, “One week?” 

She smiles delicately at him, “One week.” 

Jason just nods and kisses her cheek, so it’s agreed. He’s grounded for one week and his mother is one less person he has to outright lie too. She tells him she loves him one more time and leaves, shutting the door behind her. 

The second she’s gone Jason feels every sore muscle in his body, both good and bad sores. He can feel where his dry come is flaking against his skin and the night comes flooding back...again. Except now he’s remembering that he told Zack he’d be heading back to the train car tomorrow night. And sneaking out is not an option, his mom will definitely be checking on him. So he just pulls his shirt off and starts walking to his bathroom, defeated. He’ll just have to tell them all tomorrow and ask them to relay the message to Zack. He walks to his dirty mirror and his eyes zero in on the dark bruise Zack left on his collarbone. Slowly he starts unbuckling his pants, not looking away from the bruise, remembering how it got there.

After tonight, the last thing Jason thought he and Zack needed was a week apart. They needed to talk, he thinks peeling his come crusted boxers off. He walks over to the shower and turns it on it’s hottest setting, rolling his aching shoulders. 

But if he wants his family to stop crumbling around him, he knows his mother is right. He needs to be here. So he climbs in the shower and lets the steam clear his senses. The hot water offers an instant relief to his muscles and carefully tries not to think about Zack. 

I was going to be a long week. 

\-- 

Jason jogs down the steps into the miscellaneous classroom Angel Grove High used for detention. Immediately he spots Kimberly and Billy sitting as far away from the front desk as possible and makes a beeline for them. He throws his backpack on the ground and says, “I’m fucked. Sorry Billy.” 

“I understand.” Billy says, nodding. “I actually don’t understand but thank you for the apology.”

“What’s wrong?” Kimberly asks, leaning forward as other students start filing into the room. 

“I’m grounded for a week.” He admits, crossing his arms on the desktop. 

Kimberly laughs, “Right, you’re also under house arrest.” She knocks her foot against his useless ankle monitor playfully. 

“Did something happen with your ankle monitor, Jason? I can take another look-”

“No, Billy. Thanks but it’s not my ankle monitor. It’s my mom.”

“What happened?” Kimberly looks concerned now. 

Jason takes a deep breath, preparing himself to tell the story. “She caught me climbing through my bedroom window last night.” 

“Oh shit.” Kimberly asks and quickly sends Billy, who head is in his hand now, an apologetic glance. 

Jason explains all the ground rules his mother set for the next week. Kimberly and Billy offer him sympathetic noises and in Kimberly’s case a hand on his arm. “I’m bummed I’m gonna miss tonight.”

“What’s tonight?” Billy asks.

“Zack and I were thinking we could all back up into the hills for a bonfire.”

“Oh.” Kimberly says not looking at Jason. 

“What? What is it?” Jason asks, wondering what could be making her act so weird. 

“It’s just, I planned a girls night with Trini.” She admits, playing with the rings on her thumb and middle finger. 

“So you don’t want us around?” Billy asks.

“I don’t think-” Jason starts at the same time that Kimberly affirms Billy that, no that is not it. 

“I just think,” She continues, looking between the two of them, “it’s important for us to have sometime away from the boys. It’s nothing personal, Billy.”

Billy nods and Jason smiles at Kim. She doesn’t say it out of respect for Trini but Jason’s got a feeling that Kim suspects the same thing he does. In the small amount of time that he’s gotten to know Trini he thinks she’s been bullied. Trini was cold to everyone in the beginning but she was particular cold to Kim. And if anyone is going to understand what it’s like dealing with mean girls, it’s Kim. 

“I get it Kim. I’m sure Zack will understand.” Jason’s interrupted when loose papers scatter across the classroom floor. Their detention advisor is cursing and ignoring the jeers from the other students. Without having to look at each other Jason, Kimberly, and Billy move to help him.  
\--

The detention crawls forward and Jason can’t stop shaking his leg the entire time. He’s got his chemistry homework spread out in front of him but he can’t focus. He needs to text Zack that tonight can’t happen before detention is over but he can’t find the right words. He also hates himself for hoping that his mom is just too busy with his sister to come get him. With his new abilities, that would give him enough time to run to Zack’s and tell him in person. Jason felt like this was something he needed to do in person. Especially after last night. But it’s too risky and it’s been radio silence from his mom so the original plan is a go. 

He thinks about asking Billy or Kim to go up and explain to Zack but again, Jason finds himself hesitating with how much he tells them. It’s so innocent, asking them to run this message for him but there are so many other factors. Like the fact that no one else knows where to find Zack’s trailer. What if Jason said something that made Billy and Kimberly wonder why this was so important to him? What if he didn’t say enough and Zack felt like he was blowing him off? 

But then there was Trini. Trini who respected space and secrecy. She wouldn’t ask too many questions. She wouldn’t tell Kim, either. This thought gives him pause and he takes a moment to stare at the Pink Ranger. The two girls obviously care for one another but they wouldn’t keep something from the rest of them would they? Who the fuck was he to judge, he thought. He rubbed his exhausted eyes, willing the guilt to leave him alone for one goddamn minute. Jason makes the decision, pulling out his phone, his eyes on the advisor so he wouldn’t get caught.

I need a favor, he wrote. The second he hit send he regretted it. He started chewing on his thumbnail, he could just sneak out of detention a little earlier, run to Zack’s, tell him, then run back before his mom got here. Kim and Billy would totally cover his ass. He unlocks his phone to take it back but her reply comes through. 

_Wuz good, J?_

He starts typing out ‘nevermind’ but he starts imagining if the advisor does manage to see that he's gone. And if any of the other kids here see him leave they’ll probably tell the advisor just to be dicks. Not to mention if his mom finds out he’s fucking done. So he sighs and types out instead, I need to get a message to Zack, will you stop by his place for me? 

_Why cant you?_

Grounded. Like REALLY grounded. I’m gonna be a MIA for a week. 

_Shit. You okay?_

Yeah, don’t worry about me. Can you get the message to Zack? 

_I’m at my cousins quince but I’ll swing by right after. You know his trailer?_

529, he typed. His thumb hovered over the green send button, he knew Zack wasn’t giving out his address but he figured this was better than just standing him up. He hit send and waited. A longer stretch of time passes between his text and her reply, he sees those three dots that indicate someone is typing float on his screen then disappear a few times. His leg starts bouncing up and down which makes Kim give him a side eye from her textbook. 

Finally his phone vibrates and the text reads, _so whats the message lol_

“Fucking idiot.” He curses himself under his breath while furiously typing, Let him know I’m grounded for a week and that we can’t make it up to the train tonight :( 

_I gotchu ;)_

Jason smiles and pockets his phone, letting himself relax for the first time all morning. 

\--

Jason’s smiles sadly back at Kim and Billy who stand on the sidewalk waving at him as Jason’s mom pulls away from the curb. She wordlessly holds her palm up, asking for his cell phone. 

“Seriously?” Jason asks, he thought she would at least wait till they got to the house. 

“Seriously.” She answers, raising an eyebrow at him. 

Jason drops the phone in her hand, the drive home is only about ten minutes but with his sister’s tapping away at whatever game she downloaded on her tablet and his mother’s nervous silence it makes it feel like hours. When they turn onto their street Jason breaks the silence. “Does dad know about this?” 

There’s a long pause where Jason notices his mother’s eyes flick to the rear view mirror, making sure his little sister wasn’t listening. “No. And I’ll keep it that way as long as you cooperate with me.” 

“I will. I promise.”

\--

His mom asks him to help her with dinner so Jason chops some vegetables and sets the table, pointedly avoiding the newspaper cutout of the Red Ranger on his fridge. He does his best to ignore his father’s comments about how much of a miracle it is that he’s helping out the family. He smiles and kisses her temple when she actually asks his father to leave him alone and get his sister ready for dinner. They eat the curry and rice his mother made and listen to his sister talk about some project she has to do on climate change. Jason gives her some ideas and he ignored the lingering look his father gives him. 

Finally Jason retreats to his room and is mildly shocked when his father actually wishes him a good night. They’re the first casual, unnecessary, non-passive aggressive thing he’s said to him in weeks. Jason returns the sentiment , closing his bedroom door behind him and he starts feeling a little hopeful because maybe this whole grounding thing will actually work. 

He moves to grab his laptop and finds that his mother has taken that too and curses. Okay so maybe this would work but this was fucking torture. He looks at the clock on his wall and sees that it’s only nine o’clock. Since he can’t mindlessly surf the web until her falls asleep and he can’t leave Jason takes his time getting ready for bed. He shaves with a razor that Billy made him, he finally uses the hair mask Trini gave him, he finally starts reading some trashy romance novel Kim lent him and swears is not trashy.  
He thinks he falls asleep a few chapters in and dreams of Zack unnecessarily ripping off his clothes so he doesn’t question when Zack’s face materializes in front of him. He says something to him and his voice sounds so real but Jason is still half asleep so he just reaches out a kisses him. He starts to wake up when he realizes how solid and warm he is and he realizes Zack is here, in his room. 

“Well I wasn’t expecting that.” Zack murmurs against Jason’s mouth. 

“Fuck, what’re you doing here?” Jason asks checking the door to make sure it’s closed.

“Trini came to talk to me.” Zack whispering, running a soothing hand up and down Jason’s thigh. 

“I’m sorry, I just needed to get the message to you, I didn’t know what else to do.” 

Zack smiles and leans forward to kiss Jason’s cheek, “It’s okay. I figured it’s time they know where I live in case the world decides to end again, ya know?” 

Despite Zack’s assurances, Jason feels uneasy. “I only told Trini, I don’t know she seemed like the best choice.” Jason says. 

Zack smiles but it doesn’t quite brighten up his eyes like they usually do. “Don’t worry about it babe.”

Jason blushes at the term of endearment but he pushes past the warm feeling and asks, “What’s wrong? Should I...should I not have told Trini?” 

“No, Jason.” Zack says and his voice sounds the way it did during their first fire. “You’re not doing anything wrong.” There’s a long pause. Jason waits, rubbing his thumb across Zack’s palm, letting him gather his thoughts. “I’m just...I’m not use to having friends, god that sounds so fucking lame.” 

“Stop.” Jason says and pulls Zack’s face into his neck, turning and kissing his temple. “It’s not lame.” Then he couldn’t resist. “You’re a little lame,” he teases and Zack pinches his side before climbing into his lap, keeping his face tucked into Jason’s neck, “but that’s not lame.”

They sit like for for a few more minutes, Zack curled up in Jason’s lap

“What do you think we should tell them?” Zack asks. 

“That we’re...I don’t know, involved.”

Zack laughs, “Involved? We’re not some forty year old adulterers, Jason.”

“What would you call it then?” Jason asks seriously.

“I definitely already told my mom we’re dating so…” Zack answers more confidently than Jason expected. But Zack gets shy again ducking his head a little, “Are you cool with that?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m cool with that.” With no pause and Jason grabs Zack by the chin and turns so he can kiss him. It’s a hard kiss but it’s because Jason is pouring everything into Zack. All those warm and stomach twisting feelings he savored alone because he wasn’t quite sure where they stood. He pulls away planting on final kiss on Zack’s forehead. “We should tell the others though.” He says, tucking Zack even closer to him and running his fingers through the boy's dark hair. 

Zack nods, “I’m pretty sure Trini knows something's up.” His says softly, his voice succumbing to the darkness of the room and warmth of Jason’s body. 

“Figures.” Jason answers fondly. He feels Zack’s breathing slowing down and his own eyes are beginning to droop. Then he hears his father snore in the other room. He hears his parents bed shift and he imagines it’s his mother turning away from the offending noise. “Zack, listen-” 

“I know Red, I know.” He starts untangling himself from Jason but at the same time he’s peppering kisses on his collarbone and neck and cheek until he finally reaches his mouth. “I’ll go.” He whispers, against Jason’s wet mouth. 

“Yeah.” Jason pants but doesn’t stop Zack when he moves his mouth back to Jason’s neck, licking and biting, “You should- oh fuck, Zack.” He groans when Zack starts sucking his sensitive neck and rubbing his quickly hardening dick. 

Zack kisses him again, licking into his mouth, and sliding his hand into Jason’s boxers. “You’re gonna need to keep it down, Red.” He smirks. 

And Jason takes it as a challenge, “So are you.” Then he flips Zack onto his back and pulling his shirt over his head. Zack smiles and hurriedly takes off his own shirt, laying and back and welcoming Jason’s hot mouth across his chest. Then before he knows it Jason’s stealing his idea and shoving his pants down, mouthing at Zack’s leaking cock through his boxers. 

Zack has to bite his knuckles when Jason takes him into his mouth. Of course he knew he would not leave Jason’s room tonight without at least trying to seduce him. But he fully anticipated blowing him first. But now Jason was bobbing up and down, swirling his tongue and Zack was on the brink of losing it. But he didn’t want to just yet so he reaches down and urges Jason up. “Take off your clothes.” He whispers kissing him and tasting himself on the other boys lips.

Jason nods and his brain and eyes are foggy with sex but he does what he’s told. Soon they’re both kneeling on the bed, panting and naked. “Come here.” Zack whispers tugging Jason closer to him. Then in one fluid movement he lays Jason on his back and settles on top of him. They kiss for a while, slowly at first, relishing in the feeling of their naked bodies together. Then Jason starts grinding his hip up, searching for friction. So Zack pulls back, looking Jason in the eye as he carefully takes them both in his hand and starts pumping them together. Jason’s mouth falls open and his eyes roll back. Zack knows that if his parents weren’t a thin wall away Jason would be calling his name. But for now he’ll settle for his panting uneven breaths. For the uncontrollable way he rolls his hips. For the way Jason let’s go with him. 

With that thought Jason comes in his hand with a small sound that he can’t control. Zack follows right after, biting Jason’s neck to keep himself from moaning. 

Zack drops on top of Jason and for a while they just lay there like that. Sweaty, satisfied, and panting. Jason runs his hand through Zack’s hair and can feel himself drifting off again. And like he read his mind, Zack kisses his lips one last time before pushing off of him. They help each other get dressed in silence, their fingertips running across each other's skin.

“Come to detention on Monday. Bring Trini. So we can talk to everyone.” Jason says, zipping up Zack’s hoodie for him. 

“Neither of us has perma-detention like you delinquents, how do you expect us to swing that?” Zack says smirking 

Jason smiles, “I’m pretty sure you are supposed to be in detention and you just don’t show.”

“True.” Zack laughs. 

“And Trini’s creative. She’ll figure it out.”

“Also true.” Zack says. “We’ll tell them Monday then.” He leans forward and kisses Jason one last time before hopping back out the window. 

\--

Monday comes and the regular school day goes by much faster than Jason anticipated. Before he knows it, the final bell is ringing and he’s grabbing his books from his locker and heading to detention. He’s not entirely sure why he’s dreading telling everyone but his stomach has been in knots all day. And now, as he walks to the detention room, it feels like it’s turning itself inside out. Jason loves his friends. Jason trusts is team. But they’ve found their balance and he really doesn’t want to fuck it up. 

He walks into the detention room and sees everyone’s there. Zack and Trini are laughing at some story Kim and Billy are telling with a lot of hand motions. 

“Hey guys.” Jason says uncharacteristically nervous. 

“Hey babe.” Zack responds first, earning a raised eyebrow from Kim. 

Jason blushes and sits with Zack, who grabs his hand below the table. 

But Billy sees and opens his mouth but Trini beats him to it, “So Jason and Zack are dating now and literally no one is surprised.” She chuckles looking at Jason fondly. 

Once the words are out Jason deflates and silently thanks Trini for doing it for him. Zack squeezes his hand and winks a Trini who winks back.

“Did you guys plan this?” Jason asks, feigning offense. 

“Relax,” Trini rolls her eyes at him, “Your boyfriend just asked me to help you out.”

Kim steps into the conversation, “Why were you so worried about telling us? You know we don’t care.” 

“Do you not trust us?” Billy asks, self consciously.

“No. Billy that’s not it.” Zack says and there’s no room for argument in his words. 

Jason moves his hand to Zack’s thigh and he squeezes it, in a silent thank you. “I trust you all with my life. I guess I was just afraid of fucking up our balance. I don’t want things to change.” 

“That’s ridiculous.” Billy says, matter of factly. “Things will never change. We’re the Power Rangers. We’ll always have each other's back.” 

Jason smiles at all of them and lets Zack kiss his cheek. He opens his mouth to respond but the detention advisor stumbles into the room instructing Zack to put some distance between them and telling everyone to quiet down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So depression is a fucking bitch that makes you think your not good enough for anything, including your own fucking writing. I am so sorry about the delay on this last chapter everyone. I've had rough few weeks and I've finally been able to reignite that little spark that inspired this story. Thank you so much reading and commenting, it's been so encouraging. This fandom is so nice and inclusive I'm still praying the movies outstanding toy sales will be enough to push a sequel lol. Anyways please find me on tumblr onlywearscardigans.tumblr.com and lets talk all things Power Rangers. Love you all.

**Author's Note:**

> if there are any glaring mistakes please let me know. ps i wrote this fic after watching the new movie for the second time and after approximately 70 episodes of mighty morphin....so yeah i spiraled pretty fast.


End file.
